MULTI-UNIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES ACT, 1942

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THE MULTI-UNIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES ACT, 1942 
(VI of 1942) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and application. 
2. Co-operative societies to which this Act applies registered before 
commencement of this Act. 
3. Co-operative societies to which this Act applies registere d after 
commencement of this Act. 
3A. Co-operative Societies to which this Act applies registered in the 
Federal Capital. 
4. Appointment and powers of Central Registrar of Co-operative Societies. 
5. Penalty for failure to furnish information required under this Act. 
6. Power of Central Government to make rules. 
 
TEXT 
1
THE MULTI-UNIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES ACT, 1942 
(VI of 1942) 
[7th March, 1942] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the incorporation, regulation and winding up of co-operative societies 
with objects not confined to one province. 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the incorporation, regulation and 
winding up of co-operative societies with objects not confined to one province; 
 It is hereby enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title, extent and application.– (1) This Act may be called the Multi-unit 
Co-operative Societies Act, 1942. 
 
2
[(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.] 
 (3) It applies to all co -operative societies with objects not confined to one 
province incorporated before the commencement of this Act under t he Co-operative 
Societies Act, 1912, or under any Act relating to co-operative societies in force in any 
province, and to all co -operative societies with objects not confined to one province 
to be incorporated after the commencement of this Act. 
2. Co-operative socie ties to which this Act applies registered before 
commencement of this Act .– (1) A co -operative society to which this Act applies 
which has been registered in any province under the law relating to co -operative 
societies in force in that province shall be deemed in any other province to which its 
objects extend to be duly registered in that other province under the law there in 
force relating to co -operative societies, but shall, save as provided in sub -sections 
(2) and (3), be subject for all the  purposes of registration, control and dissolution to 
the law relating to co-operative societies in force for the time being in the province in 
which it is actually registered. 
 (2) Where any such co -operative society has established before the 
commencement of this A ct or establishes after the commencement of this Act a 
branch or place of business in a province other than that in which it is actually 
registered, it shall, within six months from the commencement of this Act or the date 
of establishment of the  branch or place of business, as the case may be, furnish to 
the Registrar of Co-operative Societies of the province in which such branch or place 
of business is situated a copy of its registered bye -laws, and shall at any time it is 
required to do so by t he said Re gistrar submit any returns and supply any 
information which the said Registrar might require to be submitted or supplied to him 
by a co-operative society actually registered in that province. 
 
1For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Ga zette of India, 19 42, Part V, p. 17.  This Act received the assent of Governor 
General on March 2, 1942, published in the Gazette of India, Part IV, dated March 7, 1942, pp. 7-8. 
2Substituted by the Central Laws (Statute Reform) Ordinance, 1960 (XXI of 1960 ), published in th e Gazette of Pakistan 
(Extraordinary), dated June 9, 1960 (w.e.f. October 14, 1955), pp. 725-845, s. 3 read with Second Schedule. 
 (3) The Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the province in which a 
branch or place of business such as is referred to in sub -section (2) is situated may 
exercise in respect of that branch or place of business any powers of audit and of 
inspection which he might exercise in respect of a co -operative societ y actuall y 
registered in the province. 
3. Co-operative societies to which this Act applies registered after 
commencement of this Act.– (1) A society which might, if its objects were confined 
to one province, be registered as a co -operative society in any province under the 
law relating to co -operative societies in force in that province, shall, notwithstanding 
that its objects are not confined to the province in which its principal place of 
business is to be situated, be deemed for the purposes of registrat ion as a co-
operative society to be situated wholly in that province, and may be registered by the 
Registrar of Co -operative Societies of that province in accordance with the law 
relating to co-operative societies for the time being in force in that province, and if so 
registered shall be deemed in any other province to which its objects extend to be 
duly registered in that other province under the law there in force relating to co -
operative societies but shall, save as provided in sub -sections (2) and (3), be subject 
for all the purposes of registration, control and dissolution to the law relating to co -
operative societies in force for the time being in the province in which it is actually 
registered. 
 (2) Where any such co -operative society establishes a br anch or place of 
business in a province other than that in which it is actually registered, it shall within 
six months from the date of establishment of the branch or place of business furnish 
to the Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the province in which such branch or 
place of business is situated a copy of its registered bye-laws, and shall at any time it 
is required to do so by the said Registrar submit any returns and supply any 
information which the said Registrar might require to be submitted or  supplied to him 
by a co-operative society actually registered in that province. 
 (3) The Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the province in which a 
branch or place of business such as is referred to in sub -section (2) is situated may 
exercise in respec t of th at branch or place of business any powers of audit and of 
inspection which he might exercise in respect of a co -operative society actually 
registered in that province. 
1
[3A. Co-operative Societies to which this Act applies registered in the 
Federal Capital.– (1) A society which might, if its objects were confined to the 
Federal Capital, be registered as a co -operative society in the Federal Capital under 
the law relating to co -operative societies in force therein, shall, notwithstanding that 
its obje cts are  not confined to the Federal Capital, be deemed for the purpose of 
registration as a co -operative society to be situated wholly in the Federal Capital, 
and may be registered, in accordance with the law relating to co -operative societies 
for the time  being in force in the Federal Capital , by the Registrar of Co -operative 
Societies of the Federal Capital appointed by the Federal Government, and if so 
registered shall be deemed in any Province to which its objects extend to be duly 
registered in that Pr ovince under the law there in force relating to co -operative 
societies but shall, save as provided in sub-sections (2) and (3), be subject for all the 
purposes of registration, control and dissolution to the law relating to co -operative 
 
1Inserted by the Multi -Unit Co -Operative Societies (Amendment)  Ordinance, 1979 (V of 1979), published in the  Gazette of 
Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated January 24, 1979, pp. 23-24, s. 2. 
societies in force for the time being in the Federal Capital, reference in that law to 
“Registrar” being construed as a reference to the said Registrar of Co -operative 
Societies appointed by the Federal Government.  
 (2) Where any such co -operative society establishes a branc h or p lace of 
business in any Province, it shall within six months from the date of establishment of 
the branch or place of business furnish to the Registrar of Co -operative Societies of 
the Province in which such branch or place of business is situated a copy o f its 
registered bye-laws, and shall at any time it is required to do so by the said Registrar 
submit any returns and supply any information which the said Registrar might require 
to be submitted or supplied to him by a co -operative society actually registered in 
that Province.  
 (3) The Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the Province in which a 
branch or place of business such as is referred to in sub -section (2) is situated may 
exercise in respect of that branch or place of business any powers of  audit and of 
inspection which he might exercise in respect of a co -operative society actually 
registered in that Province.] 
4. Appointment and powers of Central Registrar of Co -operative 
Societies.– (1) The 
1
[Federal] Government may, if it thinks fit, app oint a 
2
[Federal] 
Registrar of Co-operative Societies. 
 (2) The 
3
[Federal] Registrar of Co -operative Societies, if appointed, shall 
exercise in respect of any co -operative society to which this Act applies, to the 
exclusion of Provincial Registrars, the po wers and functions exercisable by the 
Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the province in which such society is actually 
registered. 
5. Penalty for failure to furnish information required under this Act .– If any 
co-operative society fails to furnish the  information which it is required to furnish by 
or under sub-section (2) of section 2 or sub -section (2) of section 3, or to submit any 
return required to be submitted under either of those sub -sections, the society, and 
any officer or member of the society responsible for the failure, shall each be liable to 
fine which may extend to fifty rupees, and the registration of the society may, at the 
discretion of the Registrar of Co -operative Societies of the province in which the 
society is actually registered, be cancelled. 
6. Power of Central Government to make rules .– The 
4
[Federal] Government 
may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for carrying into effect the 
provisions of this Act. 
 
1Substituted for the word “Central” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (Pb. O. No.1 of 1974), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425-A-1425-OO, Article 2 read with Schedule. 
2Substituted for the word “Central” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (Pb. O. No.  1 of 1974), published in the 
Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp.1425-A-1425-OO, Article 2 read with Schedule. 
3Ibid. 
4Ibid.